Birds, Bliss, Brownie Points!

That sums up my weekend! I told you all last post that my beloved Geek Boy had organised a surprise for Saturday afternoon. Well, it turned out to be a weekend deal and he whisked me away for a romantic interlude at Ravensbourne Forest Chalets! What a wonderful surprise! Ravensbourne is about 30 minutes drive north of Toowoomba and the country is lots of rolling green hills with pockets of cold-climate forest and it is soooooo pretty! So ... a warning now ... there are going to be LOTS of photos!!! You've been warned! Tee! Hee! Hee!

After driving in on a gravel road that wound through magnificent tall trees, we were greeted by Wes Elphick and he loaded us up with our pre-booked dinner and breakfast hampers (Geek Boy was pulling out all the stops!!) and pointed us towards our cabin - the Vines.


A bit further down the track we found our little corner of paradise.


And the full reveal ...


It was so lush and green! Sigh! Then we walked inside ...


And were greeted with a lovely welcome pressie of three fabulous deep red roses (my fave rose colour!!), a cute little gift box with some chocolates and a note from our hosts Wes and Irene welcoming us to their little slice of paradise! Could it get much better than this? ... YEP!!


Wow! Embroidered velvet bedspread on HUGE bed with a romantic canopy! And snuggled amongst the cushions on the bed ...


How appropriate!! There's a bear in there!! Sorry, 'Playschool' reference that only my Aussie visitors will recognise!! But wait, there's more!


I discovered the deck, where I promptly curled up with a cup of tea and a book while Scott had a snooze. Though, I have to say I spent more time listening to the birds and admiring the view than I did reading. Want to see my view?


This was the view straight out the back from the deck - primeval forest!! Tee! Hee! Hee! Then, out to the side of our little chalet ...


Rolling green hills surrounded by pockets of forest! There were lots of lovely bird calls to listen to - magpies, bellbirds, whipbirds ... Sigh!!! Can it get better than THIS??? ... YEP!!


SIGH!!!! Serious BLISS!!! Mmmmmm ... spa bath, bath salts, oil burner, fluffy towels and washers, heart shaped soap and a view out to lush, tangled forest and vines!! See you in a couple of hours!!! My fingers and toes were VERY wrinkled by the time the cooling water drove me out of my bubbly bliss!!! And by then, the sun had gone down, it had grown quite cool and look what my Boy Scout had done ...



A warm, romantic fire!! Sigh!! (Yes I realise there's lots of blissful sighs happening, but it was worthy of them, really!!) And I thought I'd show you where our stash of fire wood was kept, because I thought it was pretty groovy ...


It was just so lovely and rustic!! My beloved Geek Boy then proceeded to dazzle me with his culinary expertise and cooked our dinner - steak, chops, roast veges - YUM! After dinner, we curled up in front of the cozy fire, me with a book and (predictably!!) Geek Boy with his notebook computer. It was so peaceful - the television stayed off, we'd chat occasionally, we enjoyed the provided desert (golden syrup pudding and custard!), enjoyed a glass or two of wine ... very civilized indeed!!

Morning brought more birdsong to greet us - as well as a cute little yellow and black bird who spent quite some time fighting with his reflection in the bathroom window!! You could hear his little birdie brain thinking, "Who does this intruder think he is, coming into my patch of forest! Mind you, he's awfully handsome!!" Tee Hee! Hee!

Once more, Geek Boy donned his chef's hat and apron (metaphorically speaking, cos that would've just been too funny otherwise!!) and fired up the BBQ to cook bacon, eggs, fried tomato and toast. So, you can imagine that I felt like I was waddling after also having enjoyed a bowl of cereal and fruit, all included in our wonderful brekkie hamper!! Hmmm, must consider starting that diet again ... when we get home!! Tee! Hee! Hee! I then sat back with a cup of fresh coffee and listened to the wind in the trees and the bird calls while my beloved (voluntarily!!) did the dishes.

When at last we had to leave, we stopped into the office for a chat with Irene and said we would DEFINITELY be back again and would tell all our friends about their little corner of paradise and enjoyed a quick visit to the gazebo which is proving a popular spot for garden weddings. I can see why!


Apparently, at night, you can hear lots of frogs tuning up for their choral practice, along with some nocturnal bird life. You can see why it was hard to drag ourselves away and back to reality!!

Then, on the way home, we stopped off for a browse at Hampton Antiques where I found a couple of new treasures ...


The cup and saucer were just too pretty to pass up and even though the cloth had quite a few imperfections, I just loooooooove vintage cotton lace! And our final stop of the day was at Quilters Angel patchwork shop at Highfields' Village Green complex where, despite my militantly anti-pink stance ...


I actually went hunting for pink fabric on purpose with the intention of making some more shabby chic teddy bears, but have to admit that the rose one on the right has really grown on me - oh no!!! I'm mellowing in my old age!!!! Tee! Hee! Hee!

So ... that was my wonderful surprise for the weekend. Needless to say, Scott has earned himself some SERIOUS husband brownie points!! In fact, I was so impressed, I ironed him some work shirts for the week! Now, to some that would not seem out of the ordinary, but in the Meares' Madhouse, if you want to wear something that requires ironing, you'd better know how to work the iron, because it's one of my least favourite chores - most of my clothes are non-iron!! So, for me to iron more than one shirt for him, shows just how impressed I was with his efforts to organise a romantic get-away. And if you're ever in Queensland and looking for a romantic, secluded hide-away, I get HIGHLY recommend Ravenbourne Forest Chalets! Just tell Wes and Irene that I sent you!! That way, I get lots of credit when you have a FABULOUS time! Tee! Hee! Hee!

Now that I've made you all turn green with envy, I'm off to make a couple more pink bears. I know ... I should be writing the pattern instructions I put off on Friday to stitch Lynette Anderson's BOM block for April - but I'm in a lovely mood and don't want to spoil it! Tee! Hee! Hee!

Wherever you are and whatever you're doing today, I hope there's a bird's song for you to enjoy! Til next time, Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Itchin' to be stitchin' ...

Do you know what the best thing about the beginning of a new month rolling around is? The new BOM block from Lynette Anderson is available! YAY! I've been "itchin' to get stitchin'" the next block since I finished LAST month's - and I had to wait a WHOLE MONTH! Ask Scott - I'm not very patient when it comes to waiting for good things! Tee! Hee! Hee

So, you can imagine how excited I was yesterday when I popped in to catch up on Lynette's blog comings and goings to find the new block in her free, downloadable BOM pattern was up and it was ... Noah's Dove! Oh dear! There went my plans for the day to discipline myself to sit down and write instructions to my two latest patterns! This was MUCH more fun!! Tee! Hee! Hee! I wasted no time downloading my new block, traced the design and got stitching. Here is the result ...


It's a little hard to see the dove as it's stitched in ecru on a brown background, so I took another, slightly closer photo.


Hmm ... not sure that's much clearer (it looked clearer when I was playing with it in PhotoShop!!), but if you want a better view of this cute dove, visit Lynette's blog and after you enjoy drooling over the photo of HER block, click on the BOM icon at the bottom of the left hand column of her main page and get stitching on your own - I expect LOTS of people to be telling me I helped get them hooked! Tee! Hee! Hee! Isn't Lynette just so generous to be sharing her wonderful stitchery BOM with us!!! THANKS LYNETTE!!!

Anyways, my beloved Geek Boy says he's taking me somewhere as a surprise this afternoon, so I'd best go get organised - will report back on our secret destination next post!! Have a fantastic weekend and don't forget to visit Lynette Anderson Designs!!

Tagged again!!

Oh dear! I must be slowing down in my old (??) age, because I've been tagged AGAIN!!! Hmmm, wait, I never WAS very good at avoiding being tagged and age had nothing to do with it! Tee! Hee! Hee! My blogging buddy, Linda of Many Things To Do and blingy birdhouse fame (check out the cool white birdhouse she entered in a recent challenge!!!) was one of the seven people I tagged for the "7 weird/random facts" list recently. She agreed to play but tagged me in return with a "6 Word Meme" tag. Hmmmm, not ENTIRELY sure what is required, but will give it a shot. The rules apparently are:

1. Write your own six (6) word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog with a visual illustration, if you like.
3. Link to the person who tagged you in your post and to the original post if possible, so we can track it as it travels through the blogosphere.
4. Tag 5 more blogs with links.
5. Remember to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

So, my six words are:

"These three remain: Faith, Hope, Love."

It's from one of my fave Bible passages, 1 Cor:13, the "Love" chapter, that is often read at weddings - and also funerals!! It goes on a little more and ends with, "but the greatest of these, is Love." I think I like it because it kind of encapsulates what life should be about. If these three things are built into your life's foundation, you've got a strong basis for everything else. And in a world where the nightly news seems to reflect nothing but negative emotions like rage and hate, it's comforting to think that these three things endure - and that despite all evidence to the contrary, the greatest of these is LOVE!

OK, that's my little spiel. I'm not sure who to tag next, so will hold that in reserve for now.

As well as tagging me this week, Linda also adopted one of my shabby chic "bearbies" - Belle. She hitched a lift with Australia Post (taking a Kit Kat with her as a snack for the long trip!) to arrive at Linda's home yesterday, where she promptly made herself at home amongst Linda's china collection. She will help Linda even up the boy:girl odds in her predominantly male household! Tee! Hee! Hee! It's nice to know my "bearbies" are going to loving homes!

Oh! Before I sign off, the lovely Laura of Lilly Cottage has also posted her 7 weird/random factoids from where I tagged her - thanks for playing Laura!! Not only do you get to find out strange facts about Laura, you get to have a peek at a photo of her cute puppy and her gorgeous daughter!

Anyways, I think it's time to head for bed - with a wheat pack! My shoulder is telling me I've spent too long at the computer and sewing machine this week and has tightened terribly on me today. I spent a lot of time looking like the hunchback of Notre Dame trying to balance the heated wheat pack on my shoulder to ease the cramping - "The Bells, the Bells!!!" Tee! Hee! Hee! Hope you have a great weekend, whatever you're doing and if you'd like to be tagged for the meme challenge, leave me a message and I'll tag you. Hmmm, maybe I could've done better at tag as a kid if I'd waited for people to TELL me they wanted to be tagged .... maybe not!!! Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Old dogs CAN learn new tricks!

Yes folks, contrary to the old saying, I believe you CAN teach old dogs new tricks! I came to this conclusion this morning when I very cleverly (I thought!) managed to add a new bear to the Tag Along Teddies Adoption Agency page of my web site - ALL BY MYSELF!!! Yay! My beloved Geek Boy would be proud - and just a litle relieved that there's at least SOME part of the web site that I can be responsible for! Tee! Hee! Hee! And what did I add, or more accurately 'who'? Another shabby chic bear called Belle. Take a look.


She reminded me of the little music box dancer in a jewelry box - isn't she pretty! I do like the green/pink combo of colours. It's a little hard to see in the photo, but the fabric has a white background with very fine pink check lines through it with the little pink and green roses scattered in some of the squares. The lines of the pink check have a pretty sheen to them that caught my eye in the patchwork shop - even though I'm a confirmed 'non-pink' person! Belle is now waiting for someone to adopt her to a good home.

Actually, the other 'new trick' I've finally got the hang of (after many explanations and tearing-out-hair sessions with Scott!!) is inserting the links on my blog posts - YAY! Previously, I'd write my posts and get Geek Boy to come along behind me and insert the links, but I'm getting pretty practiced at it now! So far I haven't managed to send anyone off to a site that features very different 'teddies' to the ones I make! Tee! Hee! Hee!

And speaking of 'dogs' and 'tricks' ... I said in my last post that our newly adopted dog, Lilly was supposed to be 'my dog' - according to Scott. Well ... does this look like 'my dog' to you???


I don't THINK so!! It turns out, that in her previous home, Lilly was home alone most of the day while her owners both went to work, but when they were home, it was Scott's workmate, not his wife, who Lilly spent time with. Apparently, after dinner, she would be encouraged to do a trick for a doggy treat and would then curl up on his lap to snooze while he watched TV. So ... guess who she waits to spend time with here?? SIGH! I can handle rejection - I think I'll get myself a budgie to chat to!!! Tee! Hee! Hee!

Anyways, I'm off to eat worms - you know that old song, "Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, I think I'll go eat some worms..." Tee! Hee! Hee! Hope you're having a worm-free day! Til next time, Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Adoptions!

It's been a day of adoptions - well, actually, YESTERDAY was a day of adoptions, I'm just a day behind because of it! Oops! Story of my life! The first adoption was perhaps the biggest, as we agreed to become adoptive parents of a very active two year old. Her name is Lilly.


She is a Silky/Foxy cross - apparently!! Scott says she's got an "RSPCA advertisement face". Hmmm, not sure that's the sort of compliment a girl wants to hear! One of Scott's workmates is moving to Brisbane and as he and his wife are renting a house rather than buying, they found it impossible to find a dog-friendly rental property, so needed to find Lilly a new home. We had "SUCKER!" written on our foreheads ... No! No! No! I mean ... we are known to be animal lovers!! Yes, that sounds better! Tee! Hee! Hee! So, Lilly has come to live with us. I dare say there will be some adjustments to be made by all involved, particularly as both Lilly and Wombat - our 'other' furry child - have both been 'only children' up until now. So far, though, Wombat's not complaining too loudly, as we spent quite a lot of time in the yard this afternoon helping Lilly get acquainted with her new home, so Wombat got a REALLY good game of Frisbee. Here he is waiting eagerly for the next throw!


I'll no doubt keep you up-to-date with our future furry foibles!

Now the second adoption went the other way - one of my 'bearbies' was adopted out. Rose is one of the shabby chic bears I've been stitching and have added to an Adoption page on my web site. For a friend of mine, Deb from Newcastle, it was love at first sight, so Rose will soon be hitching a lift with Australia Post to move to Newcastle. Here she is.


The rose in the photo is one from my garden. My roses don't seem to get enough sun, so the blooms are few and far between, but I do love their vivid colours and perfume. And it was Rose's vividly coloured fabric that earned her her name, since it features old-fashioned roses! She's looking forward to meeting Deb and giving her lots of bear hugs. There are still some of Rose's sisters up for adoption on my web site if anyone is looking for a new family member.

Well, that's really all that's been happening in the Meares' Madhouse for the last couple of days ... OOOOOHHHH! Before I forget (again!) if you want a REALLY good laugh, head to Kerryanne's blog at Shabby Art Boutique and read about her recent holiday adventure, involving a washing machine and a bottle of laundry liquid - you've probably already got a clue about the gist of it, but you REALLY must read it, because Kerryanne is a wonderful storyteller!!! I told her that the reason I found it so funny (laughing out loud, tears rolling down my face, funny!!) was that it's usually ME that these things happen to, so I could completely identify with her dilemma!

So ... having come to the end of today's news update (sound like the evening news broadcast, don't I?! Tee! Hee! Hee!) I shall go and see what the furry children are up to. Til next time, Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS

PS. Forgot to tell you all - Gail Pan of Gail Pan Designs (she designs and makes GORGEOUS creations!!) responded to me tagging her and has listed her 7 strange/weird/unusual factoids on her blog, so pop over to say G'day and have a read!